Surge Protectors?

Apparently ignorance is bliss. :R However, reality is power source line errors are actually quite common but just because you're not aware of them doesn't mean it's not happening. Here's just one error I experienced during a power loss while camping last fall, in this case loss of ground when power was restored. My EMS refused to pass power to the camper until ground was properly restored.

krobbe wrote:
Most people will buy power protection after an expensive event has occurred.

:S I would be one of those. :B

Most people will buy power protection after an expensive event has occurred. A good surge protector with over/under voltage will save you money and pay for itself many times over. I have the Progressive Industries EMS-HW30C with a remote display. I can see at a glance the voltage, current, frequency, and any problems that it detects. It has protected my TT from reversed polarity(nuetral and hot swapped at the pedestal) and under voltage several times.
Low voltage conditions are much more common than people realize. Anything that uses 120VAC can be harmed by it as the effects are cumulative. As the voltage drops, the current thru a device increases. And the higher current creates the heat that slowly kills electronic components. 120 to 12V Converters/chargers, Microwave control panels, stereos, and tvs(anything with a circuit board) are some of the most common items affected.

GaryWT wrote:
I have never used one but I have been looking at them. This might be the year I get one. We keep trying new campgrounds and you never know.

"Might" be the year you get one?! :R JMO, but an EMS such as those offered by Progressive Industries should be a standard item in every RV. However, we all know that will never happen so it's up to the owner to take action and do what the trailer manufacturer hasn't, the sooner the better. :W

ownstunts says it all...nice to know it's the CG power post, not something inside your rig...a few years ago I spent an entire day going over wiring, circuit breakers, etc trying to figure out why many of the things in our fifth wheel were not working. Turned out one leg of the power at the post was not working...our current surge protector would have immediately told me what the issue was. I know there are other ways to make that determination, but I happen to be a "plug and play" kind of person, so what I have works well for me, and the added advantage of protecting against a power surge is just gravy:-)

In 20+ years of camping, never needed one. Then...about 5 years ago, a nearby lightening strike fried the fridge and damaged the inverter.
1400 bucks. I now have a 50 amp Progressive Industries electrical management unit. Better than a surge protector, too.
Y'never need one until it costs a lot of money. $300 for the unit vs $1400 for repairs. Good deal.

I use both Hughes Autoformer booster near the power supply pedestal and then Surge Protector to the RV. I also use the 50amp plug when avl. ..reduce it down to a 30amp . It seems to be a cleaner power connection at the 50amp plug. Maybe because it gets used less often than the 30.

https://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm/fuseaction/thread/tid/28543300/srt/pa/pging/1/page/1.cfm

We have the Progressive Industries . Have had it for a couple of years, plugged into a campground pedestal and got a reversed neutral. Let the camp ground know and they cam over and fixed it. Maintenance said its been wired that way for 10 years and I was the first person to say something. How many folks used it in ten years and didn't know it was wired wrong.

You never know if a surge protector is working, unless the surge is large enough to take it out.

Of the many dozens of campgrounds I have stayed in only two would not accept a surge protector even though the protector show the connection was safe as the circuit breaker tripped. In both cases the circuits worked fine.

The biggest reason for the surge protector is the increase use of electronics in every day products. It is fairly cheap protection.

The dog bone protectors allow the circuit box cover to close. The plug end models hold the box cover open.

Personally, I do not worry too much about voltage surges but I do like to know the circuit is wire properly. I have received a stout jolt or two from an open neutral in the past.

I like that mine tells me if the post is wired wrong before I plug in the trailer. That's worth every penny in my book.